TRT 50K/50M/100M

I posted a brief review earlier, and have decided that this race deserves a much more complete thought process. After watching a video of the trail, I remembered so much more about the race that should be said.
Let me begin by saying that I ran the TRT 50K in 2005 with mixed results. With a 8:42 finish, getting passed in the end by the front of the pack 50M runners, I must explain why I say mixed because that implies there was some positive portion. I ran the race with Derek, a good friend, never more than a few feet from each other then entire race. We were both battling demons that day, and I didn't remember much about the race except for our conversations. That part was good. Also, I must admit that I hadn't the faintest idea what I was doing running 50K at altitude with an average of 9% grade. I ran the course with a 3L camel back and 5 flasks with emergen-C vitamins. I took no food, and filled up on water only once. I didn't pee in over 9 hours. So, that part I view as positive because I'm now amazed that I even finished and I can confidently say that without Derek I would not have wanted to. Now the negative part. I felt awful during and afterwards. I cramped so much in my legs that I felt like from my hips down I was walking on chop-sticks. My toes curled under my feet so that I was walking on my toe-nails. Derek said he saw my muscles spasm at times so that I would kick in a direction I hadn't intended. Looking back it must have been pretty comical. I had trained plenty of miles, I just hadn't practiced running slowly with food as such a big consideration. OOPS!

This year couldn't have been a further experience. I remembered more about the trail than I even realized, and every memory was touching from both the beauty of the event and my fond memories of running with Derek.
I planned for a 6-7 hour finish, with an 11-13 minute average pace. My goal was to be in the top 20. My garmin would tell me what I needed to do, and I knew that this course was ~"54 mile 50K". I brought 4 Hammer gel flasks and two bottles of water with 8 Succeed-caps all in a Camel back for the day. I had my sun screen on, a hat, a short sleeve shirt, shorts, no gaiters, and sunglasses.
The count down this year included "if you come in to an aid station with your head-phones on, you risk being disqualified". Let that be a warning ;)
We took off at 6 am, the 100M group had already been out for an hour, and my buddy Ty started out faster than I had intended to go. We had planned on running the first ten together, and then he would take off ahead from there. The front of the pack of both the 50K and 50M took off at about a 7:30 or 8:00 pace, and I wasn't going to warm up that fast for a 50K. I held back, and Ty slowly drifted away. He later told me that he thought we'd hook back up at the upcoming single track switch backs, but that didn't happen. The race starts out entirely on fire trails, and after about 4 miles turns into single track. Also at that point you see Marlette Lake on your left; at this point I gasped and said to the group around me "this is what it's all about".
From there the course turns upwards, and climbs quite a difficult uphill single track for about another mile, before turning in to switchbacks down to Hobart Road aid station. This was an oasis among the trees with plenty to choose from, but I wasn't interested in staying long. I turned up the road with the big Disney-like labeled arrows pointing me in the direction of the appropriate trail to follow. The course winds up in sand-like trail that heads around the circumference of a mountain up to a view of both Marlette and Lake Tahoe. Breathtaking..."glimpse of heaven" I thought. At this point your above most of the trees, and cruise along the trail out to Tunnel Creek. A beautiful portion of the trail, that I tried to memorize because I knew I'd be heading the opposite direction after the Red House Loop. This portion of the trail, between Hobart and Tunnel Creek, is almost entirely down so I knew I should make up as much time as possible. I took off at a brisk pace.
At Tunnel creek I filled up two water bottles, I was really trying to force the fluid, and tightened my laces for the 14% downhill portion to the Red House. I went down the hill at a safe but fast pace. There were three water crossings, with only one requiring me to get my feet wet, it was pretty muddy when I went through but I didn't get bogged down with heavy feet. There was a water-only aid station at the bottom of the Red house loop at about mile 16. I filled up again there, and really wondered where I was putting all that water. I got to mile 16 in 3 hours, and knew I was on a really good split for my goals. I finally forced myself to pee, after feeling only a partial need for an hour. I chose to do this halfway up the Red House hill. I thought, might as well stop here because the hill is unbelievably steep. I made a mental note to do more hill training in Sacramento, and then laughed at the complete dearth of "hills".
I hammered back up to Hobart, and then had 2.8 up to Snow Valley Peak and 9000 feet. I latched on to the back of a guy I'd been leap frogging with all day named Pete. He was with a group of 8 guys, from some small college in Minnesota, that ran together on a cross country team 14 years ago. They get together once a year to run a race. He thought all but one of them was ahead of us, and all I could think was that's 6 places down on the list I'll be at the end of the day. I followed him the mountain in a "run to Pete fashion", so whenever he would run I would almost red-line to catch up. At the Snow Valley peak I was pretty hypoxic, and there were these signs posted on the trail from the aid station staff. They told us to slow down, not fall and crack our head, because our brain was in our head, and we needed that. This seemed really funny at the time, but I realized it was probably only so amusing because I wasn't breathing a proper amount of oxygen.
When I arrived at Snow Valley I had finished my two bottles of water once again, and was just finishing up my last flask (of 4) of hammer gel. I grabbed a few of the hammer gel packets there, and my time was 5:11 when I left. Pete and I jostled/staggered for who would lead out of there. I took the lead only by default, and started to hammer down the finish feeling euphorically good for the first time of the day. The trail at this point is actually quite technical and doesn't allow for much more than an 8 minute pace, so I played it safe and stuck to that for about a mile. After this, it opens up into sweet softpack of mostly duff and light dirt. There are a few "mine fields" of pine cones that should not be stepped on or landed on after falling. I was lucky on both points. At this point I averaged a 7:30 pace the rest of the way down to the last aid station 1.7 mile from the finish on the opposite side of Spooner Lake. I consistently looked back to both encourage Pete to keep up, but I have to admit I was running like I was being chased. I grabbed a quick Coke at this last aid station and refilled one water bottle. From there I felt like I was pulling 7 minute miles to the finish, all the while watching my garmin going up from 32 miles.
I knew there was a guy ahead of me. I questioned the ethics of passing him. I knew he was hurting, because I'd seen him suffering on the downhill portions much earlier in the day. I knew I had to pass him, for that would complete an almost dreamlike run. With less than a mile to go I passed Malcolm like he was standing still, and said my hellos before passing him through the sandy trail to the finish. He called me the hammer-man and Thor, a play on names....I felt bad for passing him there, but I just felt too good to slow there. I crossed the bridge to the finish, and heard my wife calling me home. I was on fire jumping up and down all the way to a 6:21 finish. I grabbed my wife with a huge hug, and felt high on the day.
From the beginning of check-in with getting the number 111 to the finish the day was amazing. My favorite number is 11, for what could be better than one 1 but two 1's. Heck, getting three was an omen ;)
I got home and made a fly over of the course on Google earth. If you would like a copy, I can email this to anyone interested. My Garmin did pretty well with not cutting out along the way, so the course looks pretty good. Also, I put in the aid stations as way points.
After the race I got my legs in some ice, had by burrito, watched others drink their beer, and got a massage. I sat there dazed for 3 hours with the results of the day. When I found out that I had reached my goal of top 20, I had my cake and icing too. I thanked Dave the RD, told him what I thought of the day and we went for two or three more meals before passing out.
I woke on Sunday early with my stomach as an alarm clock. I got up and ate everything in my race packet bag, stretched for an hour as the sun came up over Lake Tahoe. A beautiful weekend that I would recommend to anyone interested in running a long 50K with beautiful views, some technical trails, with lots of ups and downs (6895 feet, 10% grade).
Next year I'm going to try carrying less, wearing a tank top for cooling, and some gaiters.